Three Years Later
by Jessika Organa Solo
Summary: Ginny helps her brothers realize that they can't pick who they fall in love with... it just happens. Completed!
1. Red

**A/N: Here's a new story from me, totally unrelated to any of my other stories. I thought I would give angst a try. ;) Mainly G/H, with R/Hr, Gr/Hr, R/?… etc. **

            I stared at the candle on my desk as the ink dripped from my quill onto the sheet of parchment in front of me. The flame of the candle flickered blue, green, and yellow as I watched it quietly. It had been three years since anyone had heard from Harry Potter, but now, I was holding a letter written in the hand writing that I recognized so well. His seventh year, my sixth, we spent hours upon hours writing letters to each other; it had been the only way we could carry on a relationship with things the way they were. 

            "Dear Harry," I scratched onto the parchment, pausing to examine his letter once more. "Ginny," it had begun, "I am coming home in one week. Where can I meet you?" My heart was pounding as the candle light caused the ring on my finger to glint. Sighing, I continued writing, my hand starting to sweat. "Meet me outside the entrance to Hogsmede. I'll be waiting for you there at 10am on Monday. Don't be late." My brothers would kill me if they found out that Harry had made contact with me. 

            Folding the letter and tying it to my owl's leg, words rang in my ears as my mind replayed a scene that had haunted me…

            _"Stay away from him! You'll either just get hurt or end up dead!" Ron had screamed to me at the train station the day we all returned from Hogwarts at the end of their final year there. Ron had just pulled me away from Harry as he reached out to hug me. Hermione cried in the background as Ron continued to scream angrily at Harry, "Leave my sister alone! She'll only end up dead like your mum and dad!" I gasped loudly as Harry stepped up to face Ron. "I'm in love with her!" Harry said, his eyes meeting mine. Without a word, Ron punched him square in the face, a crowd around us watching in astonished horror. Pretending that nothing had happened, Harry sadly turned and walked through the barrier, disappearing for what would be three long years._

            My hands shaking, I went to my bedroom closet in my one bedroom apartment in Hogsmede. Pushing aside a multitude of stylish robes, I found a small wooden box. Pulling it out of the closet, I grabbed my wand off of my dresser. "Alohamora," I whispered, my eyes darting around the room cautiously.

            Pulling out the letter on the top, I unfolded it and sat down on the floor to read it. 

                        **Dearest Ginny,**

**                                    This is the last letter that you will be receiving from me. I just wanted to tell you that**

**                        I meant what I said at the station. I do love you.**

**                                                Someday, I will see you again.**

**                                                            Harry**

            Sighing and looking down at the ring on my left ring finger, I rubbed my forehead. If Ron hadn't pushed me to get engaged, I wouldn't be in this mess. If Ron hadn't gotten Mum, Dad, and the rest of the brothers involved, I wouldn't be feeling so guilty. This was all Ron's fault for being stubborn and Hermione's fault for turning her back on Harry and me!

            Stepping out on the balcony of my third floor apartment, I looked over the now booming village of Hogsmede. The lights were still on in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and I could see George walking around. I glanced in at my clock. 11:45pm. Frowning, I looked back at my brother. A woman walked out from behind the counter, but I couldn't see her face. She leaned down to tie her shoe and a cascade of wavy brown hair fell around her face. As she stood back up, George moved slightly to reveal her profile just before leaning in to kiss her passionately on the lips. I gasped out loud when I realized that it was Hermione… Ron's fiancé and my ex best friend.

To be continued! 


	2. Orange

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update… I had to read the new book and now I'm trying to incorporate all of the things that we have learned. Do you guys really think Sirius is dead? Well I don't. ;) **

            I spent the next five days in a trance. My partner in our interior design firm, Lavender Brown-Finnegan, noticed immediately and said, "Gin, are you alright?" I regarded her for a second before feeling like I would burst if I didn't reveal my secrets. "Look Lav, I'm about to tell you two things, and you have to swear not to tell anyone," I whispered fiercely, shutting my office door and locking it. Lavender made a motion meaning "cross my heart."

            Walking back to my large cherry desk, I sat down in my leather chair and sighed, "First off, I got a letter yesterday… from Harry." She gasped out loud and scurried to sit down in the chair across from me. "He's coming back, Lav, on Monday," I whispered, watching her blue eyes grow round in shock. After a pause, I said, "But, there's more…" I leaned across the desk to whisper quietly to her. "I saw Hermione and my brother kissing in 3W." I waited for her to say what I knew she would say, "So? They're engaged." Smiling, I said, "Yeah, but she's engaged to Ron… not George." After gasping loudly, Lavender screeched out, "NO!" I nodded, laughing. "What are you going to do?" she asked me, leaning forward. I shrugged. "I'm gonna sit back and let the shit hit the fan. She turned her back on me when I needed her the most, so I'm not going to help her out of this sticky situation. If Ron comes to me and asks me flat out if I saw anything, I'm going to tell him, but I'm not going to run to him and be some kind of a bloody snitch." She snickered, leaning back into the seat and propping her feet up on my desk. "He deserves everything he gets," she said, examining her ruby red fingernails. Propping my chin up with my hand, I said, "And I can't wait to watch it all happen from the safety of Harry's arm." Lavender chuckled again and said, "What about Neville?" I glanced down at the ring on my finger and then said, "We'll see what happens on Monday."

            On Saturday and Sunday, Neville tried to take me out to dinner, but I claimed I had a migraine headache and wanted to sit in my room alone. In reality, Lavender and I went to Diagon Alley to ship for an outfit for me to wear on Monday. "He loves green, and you look so brilliant in it!" Lavender said, fluffing up my curly, elbow length hair. Turning sideways, I looked at myself in the mirror. "It's sophisticated, yet still the same Ginny he loved," Lavender whispered, taking my hands in hers. "Alright!" I smiled, "Enough! I'll get it just for you!" She laughed, reaching out to hug me.

~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~

            I woke up early on Monday morning. My apartment was already flooded with cheerful sunlight as I stumbled to the bathroom to take a hot shower. I shivered uncontrollably as the water cascaded over my body; it had been three years since I had seen the love of my life. How would I explain all the things that had happened? How would he explain where he went? How would I tell him that I was engaged? These questions raced through my mind until coming to a screeching halt at one horrific thought… what if **_he_ were engaged? What id he had come back to tell me that he was getting married?**

            My heart pounded in my chest and I practically hyperventilated while putting on my new set of green robes. How could I have possibly overlooked the fact that Harry could have found someone else? My hands shook so violently that putting makeup on the muggle way was out of the question, even though I always thought it looked better done the muggle way. After performing charms for my makeup and to style my hair, I grabbed my purse and glanced at my clock. 9:20 am. I would be early.

            Passing 3W, I looked in to find George alone at the front counter, his long fingers rubbing his tired eyes. Being his sister, however, I saw past the bloodshot eyes that most would have attributed to the long hours working on new products. George was starting to feel guilty, and I could tell. He was developing real feelings for Hermione, and in his mind, his life and the lives of others would be ruined. I shook my head as I continued to walk to the large white gates that held up the "Welcome to Hogsmede" sign. It would be my job as a sister to give him advice, but I was pretty busy with my own problems at that moment.

            After glancing down at my muggle watch, I looked up to see a very familiar person walking slowly toward me. Clutching a dozen white roses, Harry Potter in muggle clothes was walking up to me. I hadn't noticed that my whole body was shaking until the sign I was holding onto began to rattle. I glanced down at my watch again. 9:54 am. "You're early," were the first words to stumble out of my mouth, as I smiled shakily. He shook his head, holding out the flowers. "No, Gin, I'm late by about three years," he said, his hand brushing a few stray hairs out of my eyes.

            "Don't cry, don't cry," I told myself, my chin quivering. However, as soon as those same green eyes met mine, the dam burst and tears flowed freely down my cheeks. "I hate you, Harry Potter! Why did you leave me?" I yelled, my voice muffled by his chest as he hugged me. "Please don't hate me, I'm in love with you," he whispered, his breath tickling my neck. He slid his hands down my shoulders and took my hands in his while saying. "Gin, I --." He had stopped abruptly when he felt the engagement ring on my finger. "Are—Are you e—en—en…" he whispered, gasping for air. His sad eyes met mine again as I burst into tears once more. "I thought you loved me…" he said, his voice high and strained. "I still do," I sobbed angrily, thinking of what Ron had done to me. "Who is it?" he whispered, clutching me for support. I moaned softly before saying, "Ron made me do it." Harry swallowed hard and tears blurred my vision. "It's Neville, Harry. Neville Longbottom."

To be continued… 


	3. Yellow

**A/N: Well, I don't know how often I am going to be able to update for a little while. I'm moving and I may not have any internet for a week or two while they set up my DSL. I'll try to update when I can! Happy 4th of July! (early) **

             We ate lunch in silence at the Hog's Head, having chosen it for its safety from Ron's prying eyes. I spooned some soup into my mouth as Harry said, "So, er… what's new with everyone?" I paused for a second before nonchalantly saying, "Not much. Hermione's been cheating on Ron and he doesn't know it." I didn't bother looking up, but hid my small smile behind my glass of pumpkin juice. Harry's fork clattered to the floor as he sputtered, "Wh-What? With who?" I giggled, my anger at Ron seeping out, "Oh, my other brother. You know… George." Harry gasped, paused, and then chuckled. He shook his head and picked up his fork, pointing at it with his wand. "Scourgify," he said, amusement in his voice. "Guess she always wanted to be a rebel," I said, mixing my salad a bit.

            As the end of our lunch grew near, Harry leaned in and whispered to me, "Ginny. I've got to tell you the real reason I'm here…" I looked up, my eyes meeting his and three-year-old emotions flooded back into my head. "Dumbledore is sick… it's suspicious. As you know, Voldemort has been hiding out since we left school, biding his time and growing stronger by resting, but that doesn't stop him from sneaking about." Harry's eyes confirmed my thoughts and he reached across the table to hold my hand. I sighed softly, happy to feel his touch, but sad to know that his true reasons for visiting were not to see me.

            It was as if he was reading my mind…. As his eyes burned into mine, snippets of memories flooded my head quickly but slowed to real time when they reached the day at platform 9 3/4… the day that Harry had left. His gaze held mine and he once again said, in a soft whisper, "I meant what I said." He released my hand but did not look away from me. "Oh how I've missed you," he whispered, stroking my cheek with his fingers. Tears threatened to spill out of my eyes as I opened my mouth to speak. "Please stay this time, I need you," I croaked. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise," he said, his hand tightly gripping mine.

            "…So you'll go with me tonight?" he asked me, his eyes following the people on the bright street. We stood outside the Hog's Head, saying our goodbyes. I nodded strongly, my hand clinging to his. "I'll meet you outside of Three Broomsticks. I'm staying there and I've arranged a portkey to Hogwarts," he said and looked around quickly. Apparently, the coast was clear because he leaned in swiftly, pulling me into a deep kiss. Only stunned for a fraction of a second, I kissed him back so strongly that I thought I would pass out from emotions. His hand found its way to my neck and then to my hair as his other arm held me close to him. It was I who broke off the kiss. "Harry, no one should see us," I whispered mournfully. Sadness flicked across his eyes as he said, "Er, yeah… I'll see you tonight. 'Round seven."

            We parted ways and I finally had the chance to stop by 3W to chat with George. "Hello Gin, why so dressed up? And you're not at work?" Fred said, greeting me from behind the counter. "Can't a girl have a day off?" I snapped quickly but calmed myself before continuing to say, "I was having lunch with an old friend today." He nodded and said, "So you're feeling better, then? Neville said you were sick." Not willing to talk any more, I simply said, "Yep" and then rushed on to say, "Where's George?" Fred frowned, but pointed me to the back room, where George was working on packaging some owl orders.

            He smiled weakly at me when I walked in; his eyes were tired and his forehead had new frown lines. "What's up, Ginny?" he asked, leaning back in the tall, wooden chair that he was sitting in, setting down his bright green quill, and sighing. "George…" I paused, reaching down to prod a 3W box, "I've noticed that you've been down lately. Are you alright?" My brown eyes narrowed as he seemed to be formulating an answer. "Er, no… I mean, yes. Yes, I'm fine," he stammered, looking nervously at the table. "Oh…" I said, trying not to smile, "I was just wondering. Hermione's been so down lately and now you're looking a bit ill too. I wonder if it's that muggle disease… mono-icky-whatsit or something." At the sound of Hermione's name, George's eyes snapped up to meet mine for a split second before he looked down at his hands. "Er—I don't know anything about Hermione. Haven't seen her in days!" he chattered nervously, shifting around in his seat. After a deafening silence I said, "Well, alright, see you later." The bell on the door tinkled as I walked out of the store.

To be continued…

PS -  I know this one was short, but I split one long chapter into two so you could have this while I finished up the rest of the chapter. ;)


	4. Green

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long. I've gotten pretty involved in my new Artemis Fowl fic and I was having trouble getting ideas for this next chapter. So, here goes. It's a little short and predictable, but it's full of drama!**

            I spent the next week working and sneaking about with Harry after work. He came over to my apartment for dinner if we weren't visiting Professor Dumbledore, who was still mysteriously very sick. There wasn't a lot for any of us to do; even Madame Pomfrey was stumped by the illness. I was just an interior designer. True, I was relentless at research, but I wouldn't even know where to start in this particular case. As for Harry, well, he still hadn't told me about the three years that he seemed to have fallen off the face of the Earth. I didn't ask.

            "We really need Hermione… she would know what to do," Harry mused as we strolled hand in hand down the corridor past the Great Hall. The Hall was empty and the students were in bed, causing Hogwarts to feel deserted. I sighed softly, looking at the sleeping portraits on the wall. "What?" he whispered, pulling me to a stop beside Gad the Great's portrait. I sighed again and said, "Harry, Hermione isn't the same person she used to be. I don't talk to her often, but when I do see her, she seems to be on the verge of crying or going nutters." Harry shook his head and said, "She sold me out when I needed her, but I never thought she would lose her backbone." I shrugged. I was almost over my hate for Hermione. Now, I just felt sorry for her.

            Opening the main doors, we stepped out into the inky night. It was darker than I had seen it in a long time, and I even heard a faint rumble of distant thunder. Harry brought his arm around my waist as we slowly walked, savoring our remaining time together. I could tell something was bothering him, but you know how men are… if you ask them, you're nagging, but if you ignore it, they think you don't care. So, I simply snuggled in closer to him and squeezed his hand. Looking down at me, he said, "Gin, I want to talk to you about something… about this engagement thing—" but he stopped abruptly when he heard a twig snap. We both yanked our wands out of our robes and whispered, "_Lumos._" And there, right in front of me, stood Ron, his face as red as a tomato. "Shit," I cursed under my breath. 

            The pregnant pause that followed allowed me to identify the other four people that were with him: Neville, Hermione, Fred, and George. And all of the sudden, I had the upper hand. I suppressed a smile as I allowed my glare to meet Ron's. "I thought I told you never to see him again. He doesn't love you," Ron said, stepping forward and grabbing my arms tightly. Calmly, I squeezed his wrists with my fingertips until he let go, (something I had learned in DA my fifth year,) and then dropped them. "Besides, Ginny, you're engaged," Ron said, practically spitting the words at Harry, who looked ready for a fight. After one last glance at Neville's blank expression and empty eyes, I took a deep breath and pulled the ring off my finger.

            Hermione's eyes were wide and fearful as tears poured down her cheeks. I held the ring up so that the starlight caught the stone and I then said, "Not anymore," and chucked the ring straight into the lake. It landed with a plunk and sank immediately. Everyone stared at me as thought I had gone completely starkers, but I smiled, my eyes meeting Hermione's. The remaining anger I had toward her melted away as I opened my mouth and said the four words that would change everything. "_You shouldn't be either." Hermione gasped loudly and covered her mouth as Ron gaped at me. Slowly, he turned his glare to Hermione, who began to sob uncontrollably. Neville continued to stare blankly and Fred looked utterly confused. Only George remained motionless, his eyes boring straight into mine. Hermione's sobs almost drowned out the words, but I caught the whisper. "Thank you," George had whispered, and he meant it. I nodded to imply that we would talk later, and then slid my arm around Harry's waist, his arm resting on my shoulders as we walked to the gates of the Hogwarts grounds, leaving the other four to settle all of the problems._

To be continued!!!


	5. Blue

**A/N: It's hard to follow a chapter like the last one, but I'm going to try! ;) It may seem like I'm being harsh on Ron… because I am! I'm not really a Ron fan at the moment, so that's why he is getting shat on. Not much romance in this chapter, only drama. Hopefully there will be more romance in the next chapter. This chapter rated PG-13 for language.**

            The sun glared harshly in my window, and I slammed my eyes shut as soon as I had opened them. My alarm yelled at me loudly. I was dazed for a few seconds before the whole previous night came flooding back to me, and I groaned as I realized that I had to go to work. I knew mum would floo me later in the day to scream at me for wrecking everyone's lives, but I tried to push that thought out of my head. Hermione was going to kill me. Ron was going to kill me. At least I knew that George wasn't going to try to kill me. I only hoped that I could stay alive to meet Harry for our lunch date at The Three Broomsticks. 

            Waiting for me on the kitchen window sill was a brown owl that was clutching an envelope. Sighing in relief, I saw that the envelope was not red, so I reached out to stroke the owl's feathers. It clicked its beak happily as I untied the letter. After giving it a bit of a left over muffin, I sat down at the table to quickly read through the letter.  I frowned, recognizing Neville's chicken scratch handwriting. I scanned the letter, looking for anything of importance or any signs of anger; however, there were none. He seemed happy, and to sum it all up, his letter basically said that it was all for the best, because he had been cheating on me with Susan Bones.  Laughing hysterically, I threw the letter down on my butcher block kitchen table and ran to the bathroom to take a record breaking shower. The water washed away my worries about the day, and I gathered steam from the good feelings that Neville's letter had brought to me.

            Lavender was sitting in my office when I arrived to work fifteen minutes early. She smiled at me cheekily from my desk chair. "I heard what happened last night," she said, propping her feet up. I chuckled and said, "Good news travels fast, doesn't it?" She smiled sincerely this time and said, "Gin, I'm happy for you. You deserved a better life than the one you were going to have." My features softened into a genuine smile as I looked at her smiling face. "Thanks, Lav," I said, leaning over to give her a quick hug. Turning around to grab a file out of the filing cabinet, I added quickly, "He was cheating on me with Susan Bones anyway." I waited for her reaction, and as usual, she didn't let me down. "_What?!" she screeched. I turned around, nodding and trying not to laugh. "_Why?!_ I mean, ick! She was such a kiss up and she never was good at anything! Damn Hufflepuffs." Lavender said, scrunching her face into a disgusted look. I shrugged and said, "Oh well, not my problem anymore." Lavender smiled and took the file out of my hand, walking to her own office to contact Mrs. Diggle about her new sofa and loveseat._

            Around 10:30, as I was browsing a book of paint spells, Lavender knocked on my office door. "Gin?" she said, in a soft and worried tone. I looked up instantly and saw the person that was standing next to Lavender. "Hermione…" I breathed. Her hair stuck out in bushy patches and her nose was red. She burst into tears the second I said her name, and Lavender ushered her inside the office and shut the door behind them. I motioned for Hermione to sit down in one of the squishy arm chairs as Lavender poured some tea for us and snuck some fire whiskey in Hermione's cup. "I- I just wanted to come to tell you that I am so sorry, Ginny. I am so sorry for all the things I let Ron do to you these past few years. I can't believe I did that to you and Harry… I feel horrible, Ginny," she blurted out between her sobs. Lavender's eyes widened as she and I shared a look. I remained silent as Hermione continued, "And to top it all off, you go off and do the one thing that I couldn't do for you." Tears filled my eyes and I sunk down into the chair next to Hermione's. Before I could even say anything, she said, "I love George so much, but I never thought that I could be with him. I was in agony, Ginny. I know how you must have felt all those years. I am _so sorry._" She covered her face with her hands and cried loudly. "Hermione, it's okay," I whispered, patting her shoulder and holding out the cup of tea. She sniffled, and looked up at me. "And Ginny, I'm even sorrier for losing you as a friend, because I really needed you these past few months and I should have been there for you when you needed me. I really hope that we can be friends again. I'll do anything," she said, her voice sounding a little stronger. "Hermione, I forgive you, but there is something that Harry and I need your help with. Can you go to lunch with me?" I said, looking at the clock. She nodded vigorously, and I smiled. "Alright, meet me at the Three Broomsticks at 11:45." She smiled and hugged me, turning to walk out of the office. As the door snapped shut, Lavender looked back at me. "Wow," she said, and shook her head. "I know," I agreed, laughing.

            The Three Broomsticks looked busy from the outside and I found out why when I walked inside at 11:50. There, in the middle of the bar, stood Ron and George. Ron was screaming at George, who was being held back by Fred. Hermione was covering her face with her hands and Harry was sitting at the bar, watching the whole scene and drinking a butterbeer. "_What in the fuck is going on here_?!" I screamed at Ron and George, throwing my purse down on a table. The crowd that was watching instantly started to whisper about my identity. "Ronald Weasley! What in the hell is wrong with you?!" I yelled, getting in his face. "Stay out of this, it has nothing to do with you. Go over and sit with your worthless boyfriend!" he screamed back, little flecks of his spit hitting me in the face. "Shut your fucking mouth!" I yelled, drawing my right arm back and punching him the muggle way. Blood squirted from his mouth as he held the tooth that had popped out. Just as I was pulling out my wand to perform my signature hex, the Bat-Bogey Hex, another voice similar to mine filled the bar. "RONALD WEASLEY!" my mum screamed from the doorway. The bar was instantly silent. Like the parting of the sea, the crowd made a path for our mum as she made her way to Ron. "How could you embarrass your father and I by making a scene in a public place. You're not on some muggle picture box show, so stop acting like a first year. You ruined these folks' lunch. Now, let's go outside and let Hermione, Ginny, and Harry catch up on things. Fred? George?" she said, her hand gripping Ron's shoulder tightly. "I think we'll stay here and catch up with Harry too, mum," Fred said. "Very well, I'll see you two later. Nice seeing you again, Harry. You'll have to come over tomorrow so that we can catch up with you," Mum said, leading Ron to the door. Harry nodded and smiled, his arm around my shoulder. 

            We sat down, to the disappointment of the crowd. Rosmerta brought us a menu and took our drink orders. When she walked away from the table, I leaned in and whispered, "Alright, who owled for Mum?" Fred and George shrugged as did Hermione. "I did," Harry said softly, to my utter surprise. "George told me that your mum already knew about him and Hermione, so I thought the best way to end this fight would be to get your mum," he said, his eyes meeting mine. I sighed and then smiled, "This is all starting to be too much for me to handle. Everything is different." "But everyone is happy now…" George said, glancing down at Hermione, who was sitting next to him. "So what did you want to talk to us about, Harry?" Fred said, changing the subject. Harry looked around and then whispered to Hermione, "Can you put a silencing charm on this booth?" She nodded and flicked her wand, causing a glittering film to encase them. "It's Dumbledore… "

To Be Continued…

PS: Don't worry, the whole Ron/Hermione/George problem isn't resolved. As if Ron would let something drop! HA!


	6. Indigo

**A/N: I know… it's been too long. I have no excuse. The next chapter will be better… **

**            "So how did mum find out?" I asked Harry as we walked back to my office. We had promised Hermione and George that we would meet up with them after work, so I wanted a few minutes alone with Harry. "Evidently she walked in on them in the shop about a month ago, and they told her about it and she promised that she wouldn't tell Ron as long as either Hermione broke it off with Ron or broke it off with George," Harry said, his fingers laced into mine. "You've got to be giving me the mickey! Did he tell you how long it's been going on?" I said, shocked at my brother and Hermione. "Well, he said that they had been meeting secretly for about five or six months now," Harry replied, knowing that I would be shocked. I gasped, my mouth open in surprise. Harry laughed quietly, the corners of his eyes crinkling pleasantly. My eyes caught his and I smiled. "I missed you," I said, reaching up to touch his cheek. His smile softened to a small, sweet smile that he reserved just for me. "Gin, I love you," he said after leaning down to kiss my cheek. "I love you too, Harry," I sighed, a goofy smile threatening to overcome my lips.**

            Once back at the office, I worked like a house elf to finish the Paddington portfolio before Lavender's meeting with them at 4:00. I'm sure that it seems that I've been doing a whole lot of nothing lately, and it's true. However, the job of an interior designer is to be able to know instinctively what will look best. So basically, I make it up as I go. Lavender was the one who took care of the money and the paper work, leaving me to do most of the designs for all of the houses.

            After picking out the supplier for some rugs, I closed the file on the Krum mansion and headed out the door to meet up with Hermione, George, and Harry at Florean Fortescue's for some ice cream and a chat. Harry and Hermione were chatting at a table outside when I arrived. I brushed the seat off before sitting down in my pale yellow robes. Harry smiled at me and scooted closer to me on the bench, his leg brushing against mine. Hermione smiled as she watched us, finally looking happy for the first time in a year or more. "Alright, Hermione?" I said to her, smiling. She laughed and replied, "As long as Ron's not around." I sighed and shook my head, "My stupid git of a brother… Tell me; is he still starkers about this whole thing?" Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "I've already gotten three howlers today after your mum talked to him." I shook my head. He deserved a bat-bogey hex.

            George arrived soon after our conversation about Ron had begun. George's hands and face were dirty from what looked like soot. "Ruddy bastard! Sent me five howlers at once and they exploded before I could open them!" he fumed, flopping down in the seat next to Hermione. "I'm sorry," she said softly. George instantly cheered up and said, "Oh sweetheart! It's not your fault!" He scooped Hermione into his arms and kissed her cheeks until she laughed, which didn't take long. I shook my head and smiled. Harry looked at me quizzically and I whispered, "It's been dark for so long and it's nice to see some sunshine again." He frowned in thought and then smiled, his hand sliding over the top of mine.

            We told Hermione and George about Dumbledore's symptoms as Hermione took notes, chewing on her quill thoughtfully at times. She promised that she would head to Hogwarts in the morning to do some research. Hermione's job as a magical chemist left her with a lot of free time. Since she used some potentially dangerous substances, she was only allowed to work every other day and she had to perform a special shielding spell each time she went to work. She was paid extremely well though; she said American muggles called it "danger pay."

            "So, Harry, what did you do these three years that you've been gone?" George asked, my eyes flicking to Harry's face. Harry chuckled and then said, "You'll never believe it, but I was a singer in a muggle band." Hermione choked on her ice cream and I gasped. "I didn't know you could sing, mate," George said, trying not to laugh. Harry laughed and said, "Oh, I can't really. It's all fake. I never even appeared on stage." Hermione nodded in agreement and added, "They have computers that can change voices and make them sound better." George frowned in confusion and said, "What's a com-com-pooter?" Hermione giggled and said, "I'll show you mine later." Always the prankster, George manipulated her statement and said in a seductive voice, "Why, Hermione, you're so forward today. But what if I'm not ready to show you mine?" She rolled her eyes and pretended to be annoyed, but quickly dissolved into giggles.

            After setting up plans with Hermione and George for the following night, Harry walked me home and came up to my apartment. When I flicked my wand to light all the candles and torches, I saw that a howler had exploded on my kitchen table and had left scorch marks. Sighing loudly, I flicked my wand again to perform a repairing spell that Lavender had taught me. Harry followed me to the living room and plopped down on the love seat as I took off my shoes. Apparently, I wasn't going fast enough for him because he grabbed my waist and pulled me down onto his lap, his arms around my middle. "Harry!" I said, half giggling, half startled. I felt his smile against my cheek just before he turned me to face him. "I love you, Gin," he whispered, burying his face in my long hair. "I love you too, Harry," I said, my hands instinctively going for his messy black hair, manipulating it so that it stood on end. He sighed, leaning back to look at me, "I don't want to leave." I glanced at the clock on the wall. 11:30pm. I needed to get to bed soon because I had to work in the morning. "Well," I said resolutely, "You can just stay here."

To be continued!


	7. Violet

**A/N: Okay, it's been two years… I know. I don't want to hear it! ;) Since my husband is gone for the weekend, I thought I would try to finish up this story! This will be the last chapter, seeing as how Violet completes the rainbow (see chapter names.) Obviously, this story was written before OotP and HPB, but I'm going to add in a few things from those books. Although, obviously, Dumbledore is not dead. And I'm sorry if this chapter sucks. I'm a bit rusty.**

I woke up early in the morning, startled to find an arm around my waist. For a few seconds, I wondered if I had gotten drunk the night before and brought home a man, but the person beside me stirred and snuggled closer to me. "Morning, Gin," he said groggily. I smiled, remembering that Harry had stayed the night. "Morning, Harry." He rubbed his eye and groaned. "Is it really morning?" he asked. I laughed, rolling over to face him.

The day flew by, and before I knew it, Lavender and I were ordering lunch delivery from a nearby sandwich shop. "You have plans for tonight?" she asked, squirting some mustard on her turkey sandwich. I nodded, swallowing, and said, "We're meeting George and Hermione at the shop and then I think we're heading over to Mom and Dad's. I had an owl from George this morning, and he said something about it." I was curious as to why George would want to have dinner at the Burrow, seeing as how we had just had dinner there a few nights before. Harry and I had been under the impression that Hermione wanted to spend the evening at Hogwarts with Dumbledore.

I apperated back home around 4:30 to change clothes and to make sure that Harry was ready to go. "Hello? Harry?" I called, walking into the living room. A vase full of flowers was sitting on the coffee table and Harry smiled as he walked out of my bedroom. "Hello," he said, handing me a single rose. I laughed, taking the flower and kissing him on the cheek. "What have you been doing all day?" I asked, looking around for a clue. "I've been at Hogwarts with Hermione…" he replied, his expression neutral. "And?" I asked, hopeful. He raised an eyebrow and said, "You'll find out at dinner tonight." I huffed and stomped my foot, crossing my arms and frowning at him. He smiled and winked, leading me into the bedroom so I could change into some casual robes for dinner. "So, I talked to Hermione about George today…" Harry said, flopping down on the bed as I changed robes in the closet. "Oh, really?" I said. He chuckled before continuing, "Apparently Ron is cheating on her with someone too." I flung the door to the closet open, holding my robes closed with my hand. My eyes were wide and Harry continued. "It's a muggle," Harry added, a huge smirk on his face. I burst out laughing, bending over at the waist. The day just kept getting better and better.

"So, how long has this muggle thing been going on?" I whispered to Harry as we walked up the path to the Burrow. "It started a few months before Hermione started up with George. She has known about it since it first started. That's kind of how the whole thing with George got started, apparently. But then, they happened to fall in love with each other," he said, shrugging. I shook my head and smiled.

The whole Weasley clan was at the house when we arrived, (minus Percy of course.) Fleur and Bill were sitting in the living room with Charlie, talking animatedly about a hilarious incident at Gringott's. Mum was finishing up the cooking when we walked in the back door. She dropped the towel she was holding and hugged us both. "Oh, Harry dear! We've missed you!" She cried happily, squeezing his cheeks. Fred and Angelina bounded down the stairs, laughing about something. "Well, it looks like George, Hermione, and Ron still haven't arrived," Dad said, walking in from the back yard. The sun had begun its noble fight against the night and was causing the kitchen to glow red and orange. "Is Ron actually going to show?" Fred asked Harry and me, and I shrugged. Mum interjected, "He said he was bringing a friend. I do hope tonight isn't going to be a disaster." Dad nodded in agreement. "Hermione should be here soon… she had something to take care of before coming here," Harry said, and everyone looked at him curiously. I rolled my eyes at his secrecy and ventured into the living room to sit with Bill, Charlie, and Phlegm.

A few minutes later, Ron arrived with a short blonde girl who looked seriously overwhelmed and a bit scared. And of course, she was wearing muggle clothes. "Oh, you're a muggle!" Dad said happily, taking her coat for her and examining it before he hung it up. Ron smiled sheepishly at Fred, who was frowning at him. Harry leaned down to whisper in my ear, "No one knows about Ron cheating on Hermione but us." I covered my mouth with my hand, trying not to gasp or laugh, or do both at the same time. Tonight was going to be interesting.

Just as Ron's girlfriend, Sarah, sat down at the table, I saw the silhouettes of two tall figures and a shorter one with bushy hair making their way up the path to the Burrow. "Someone eez coming!" Fleur yelled from the living room. Mum ran to the window, and clasped her hands together excitedly. "Ohhh, it's Dumbledore!" she exclaimed, running to the back door to open it. I looked over at Harry, who smiled guiltily at me. "You git," I said, smiling back and linking my arm through his. Everyone but Ron and Sarah ran to the back door to greet the group, congratulating Hermione for solving the mystery. "Indeed, Miss Granger is to be congratulated. In my unconscious state, I was not able to aid Madame Pomfrey. Miss Granger's knowledge of alchemy and dangerous substances no doubt aided her in her diagnosis. Within an hour, I was awake and having my first meal in months," Professor Dumbledore said, proudly placing his hand on Hermione's shoulder. Hermione was desperately trying to control her grin, but I knew she was immensely proud of herself. I smiled happily, helping mum conjure up enough chairs for everyone.

"Dinner was delicious, Molly, dear," Dumbledore said, leaning back in his chair. Harry was finishing his third helping of treacle tart after our dinner of roasted chicken, potatoes, and various puddings. "Ron, I noticed that you have a friend with you tonight. In my lateness, I fear I missed her introduction," Dumbledore said politely, smiling and looking at her over his half moon spectacles. Sarah was almost cowering in her chair between Ron and George. I almost felt sorry for her; she had to have felt out of place in her muggle clothes. "Umm… this is Sarah Rhodes. She's my girlfriend," Ron said, wincing immediately. Dumbledore smiled serenely, having heard the story from Hermione already. However, Mum, Dad, Fred, Charlie, Bill, and Fleur had not heard this previously. Dad looked amused, but Mum and Fleur looked mutinous. Charlie was covering his mouth, trying not to laugh, and Bill looked a little confused. "Yes, I understand that you and Miss Granger are no longer seeing each other," Dumbledore said politely, "And I understand that Miss Weasley and Mr. Potter have rekindled their flame also, am I correct?" I chuckled and nodded as Dumbledore smiled. After a brief, uncomfortable silence, Dumbledore said, "Oh, dear, and I've forgotten that George has taken an interest in Miss Granger, although I can't say I blame him." The group chuckled, easing the tension to a degree. George cleared his throat nervously and spoke up. "Actually, there is something I would like to say, if you all don't mind."

My eyes were wide as I looked over at Harry, who shrugged. Hermione looked confused and Ron tried to appear uninterested. "I never thought the day would come that I could talk about my relationship with Hermione in front of my family, but the day has finally arrived. Tonight is already a special night for our family. Dumbledore is well again, Harry and Ginny are back together, and Ron and Sarah…" he trailed off, "So, I wanted to add another thing to celebrate." I was biting my fingernails, curious and nervous for George. His hands were shaking and he looked as if he were about to be sick. Ron's face was white and frankly, he looked a little angry. The sound of George's chair scraping against the floor brought my eyes back to him. And before we knew it, George was down on one knee. As soon as the little blue-green box came out of George's robes, Hermione burst into tears. Mum's hand was over her mouth and Dad was smiling proudly. "I – I, uh," George stammered, his hands shaking so badly that he almost could not take a hold of Hermione's, "I have been thinking about this day for several months. I never imagined that it could happen, but… here I am. Hermione, would you make me the happiest man alive, and please be my wife?" The room was painfully silent for a full three seconds before Hermione flung herself out of her chair and into George's arms. "Of course I will!" she cried happily, and we all cheered. Fleur was clapping the loudest along with mum, who was holding back her own tears. Dumbledore clapped happily and said, "Oh, I'm glad I decided to wake up today for this happy occasion!"

Hermione showed off her ring as everyone gathered in the living room. Dumbledore had cleared the entire table with one swish of his wand, leaving all of us free to celebrate more in the living room. Fleur was passing out glasses of oak matured mead, and the group was loudly toasting George. "Your family isn't so different…" I heard Sarah whisper to Ron as they sat on a love seat. He shrugged, his face still looking a bit sour. I shook my head and then turned back to Harry, who was talking with Fred about his career as a muggle singer. Dumbledore was saying thanks to Mum after wishing us all a hearty goodbye. He shook Dad's hand and then exited the door, disapperating on the spot.

Not wanting to leave or go to bed, I was wracking my brain for something to do. Obviously feeling the same, Fleur leaned back against the couch and said, "I don't want tonight to end. It reminds me of zee night Bill proposed to me." She looked over at Bill happily and he smiled. Fred rolled his eyes and Angelina gave him a good whack. "Well," Sarah spoke up for the first time. Her voice was soft and made her sound young for her age. "We could go to this club I know of. It will be a little crowded, but it shouldn't be too bad," she said and paused, "But you'll have to change clothes…" I laughed, as did Charlie and Harry. "Don't worry, we wouldn't want to scare the muggles," Bill said.

Fleur, who happened to be excellent at transfiguration, transfigured our robes into muggle clothes. Sarah was shocked as she watched Fleur silently tap each of us with her wand. I looked down at the sparkly outfit that Fleur had created for me and said, "Fleur, I take it you've been to a muggle dance club before?" She laughed and tossed back her platinum hair. "Before I met Bill, I went a few timez weeth zum boyz from my zschool," she said, finishing with her own clothes. Bill raised his eyebrows and examined Fleur's outfit. "I hope you weren't wearing this!" he said, getting a chuckle out of Ron, who hadn't spoken since George had proposed to Hermione.

Evidently Sarah was used to side-along apparition, because she didn't look the least bit phased after we apperated to the club, The Boom Boom Room. "The Boom Boom Room!" Fred asked incredulously, trying not to laugh. As soon as we ventured inside, though, we found that the name was appropriate. The club was filled with people, all of whom were undulating to the hip hop music that was pouring from the speakers all around the room. Wondering if Hermione was still as tame as she used to be, I looked over to see the reaction on her face. I was surprised to find her undulating along with the rest of the muggles, dancing closely to George, who was surprised and amused as he danced along with her. "Aw, what the hell," I said, pulling Harry out onto the dance floor with me. As we danced along with the rest of the muggles, Harry leaned close to me to whisper, "I really wish I had taken you to the Yule Ball with me in fourth year." I threw my head back and laughed, wrapping my arms around his neck.

I woke up the next morning, once again startled to find an arm around my waist. "Did I get drunk and bring someone home last night?" I thought, frowning. My thoughts swam for a moment and the person beside me said, "Yes, you did get drunk and bring someone home with you last night. But don't worry, it wasn't some hot guy you met at the club, it was only me." I smiled groggily and said, "Harry, quit doing that legillimency thing on me." He snuggled up against me and squeezed. "Last night was such a great night," I sighed, rubbing his arm, "It was so nice to celebrate something so wonderful." I felt him take his arm off of my waist and reach over for something. I heard a little snap and then he said, "How 'bout we do it again tonight?" And there, in front of my face, was my own blue-green box containing one very sparkly diamond engagement ring. I let out an ear piercing scream and turned over to hug him. "I'll take that as a yes," he said, leaning down to kiss me passionately.

THE END!

**I hope it wasn't too hokey. It's getting late and my brain has sort of stopped working. I wanted to bring closure to this story, and I hope I have.**

**JOS**


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